Candir
The Candir are a highly-sophisticated race of sentients from the planet Garridun. Appearance The Candir have a blue-gray pigmentation to their skin. They tend to be more sturdy than Hurons and more agile than the Ku'Tollans, but less hardy than the latter. Their pupiless eyes come in shades of red. They lack noses and ears. Having a full head of hair is a rarity for any male Candir, and since the women rarely venture out of the Warperate, many depict the Candir as a completely bald race. Males grow a small amount of hair at the back of their head in their waning years, and some elders keep a short topknot. Any Candir that you spot with such should be regarded with the utmost respect. Biology The Candir are of average height. Their skin is slightly more resilient and tough than Hurons' and are hot-blooded. Since they don't have noses or ears, they hear through small indentations and smell/breathe through a slit down their face. Their hearing can be augmented by upgrades quite easily. A Candir's actual body build is quite similar to Hurons or Harlan Priest's Race. Their biology is generally similar. The largest difference between Hurons and Candir is their facial features. Candir have an inborn deficiency with and resilience to magic, making DMUs more rare amongst them than, say, Hurons or Zrillac. Their resistance makes them much stronger in combat against DMUs, making the Vuldak Empire seek the aid of several Rune Legions against the Kasmari Rebellion. Magic amongst Candir Warpers is of it's own breed. Some call it arcane, but truly it is of it's own category. When magic first came to Garridun, it mutated and twisted until it became what Mab Sketox used to unite the kingdoms. Warper magic, known as 'Warping', involves telekinetics and the ability to alter your surroundings. A disease has followed the Candir since Sketox's Empire. Warper's Rot was named after the DMUs that were the original patients for it. The 'Rot, as it's called in common slang, can only affect Candir DMUs. The incompatibility of Candir DNA with magic always causes a massive amount of power in the Warper, but it can also rupture afterwards and spawn Warper's Rot. The 'Rot is instantly recognizable from birth. The subject is born with heavy cateracts, causing pure white eyes. The 'Rot doesn't blind the victims; in fact, it enhances their vision. Symptoms are nonexistent, but those with Warper's Rot have a weaker immune system which can cause the death of them long before their time, at a lifespan half a decade younger than the average Huron. History The Candir evolved to a medieval stage only about one-thousand-five-hundred years pre-Bazuur. They were a weak people, never agreeing. Conflicts were rampant, and many died from disease and warfare. The Warperate Candir legend says that, when their society was separate kingdoms and fiefs, there was one by the name of Mab Sketox. This one Candir could do incredible things with his mind and bare hands, becoming the first Candir DMU. Eventually, Sketox united the kingdoms under his own banner and took control of the planet as a whole. When more like Sketox appeared, the people named them 'Warpers' for their innate focus on telekinetics. Sketox proclaimed himself the first High Warper, and his rulership became known as the Sketox Empire. Over time, it evolved into the Candir Warperate. By first galactic contact, it's rare that a High Warper is actually magically sensitive. Within two centuries, the Warperate had discovered laser technology due to a Zrillac crash site on Garridun. They grew quickly from there, building competent spaceships and taking control of the entire Garridun system. Zrillac spies were watching the growth of the species from a distance, and they were impressed greatly. The Warperate grew in power, taking over more nearby systems. First contact with the greater galaxy was in 1287 PB, when a Zrillac starship approached. A conference occurred with the High Warper, and the Warperate was introduced to the Infinite Galaxy. The Candir were amazed at how much they hadn't seen of the world. They began to integrate themselves with galactic society, growing until they became a strong force. The High Warper was still wary of getting too involved, so the Warperate kept its' distance from most affairs of the greater galaxy, becoming the recluse beyond the Demeter Veil. Separatists In the tense decades leading up to the Kasmari-Vuldak conflict, dissent began to spread. Some Candir wanted to take an active stance in galactic politics, but the High Warper, Lab Teko, wanted the Warperate to stay its course as the mysterious land at the edge of charted space. A well-known politician and close friend of the High Warper, T'grant Pau'aam, led the dissenters. He had explored the galaxy in detail, a practice which was socially perturbing. He claimed that the only way to survive in the galaxy is to involve themselves in it, and to take a stand alongside his friend Archmage Silverstein in the oncoming war. Surprisingly, Teko refused to budge even for his comrade, making counterarguments to stay out of the way of the brewing storm. Pau'aam urged him to reconsider, giving a passionate speech on the steps of the Warperate Palace, in front of millions. Once again, Teko stated that they weren't going to move further into the galaxy. Frustrated, Pau'aam gathered his followers, numbering in the thousands. They were everything from Warper agents to civilians, but they all followed Pau'aam and headed away from Warperate space. They established themselves on Rretarria, a desert world. Warper agents tried to follow, but Teko stopped them, letting Pau'aam and his followers to split away. The separatists dubbed themselves Clan Pau'aam in the ways of the ancient Candir. This was done to show their belief of the Warperate's extreme isolationism, and how it prevents them from following Mab Sketox's mantra of upholding ultimate justice. Each was renamed with the surname of Pau'aam. Some of the greatest and most well-known Candir are part of Pau'aam's 'family'. After the Pau'aam Separation Even though they lost many to T'grant Pau'aam's teachings, the Warperate went on. Teko remained in office for a year after the Bazuur incident, until he was assassinated. Teko's successor invited the Pau'aam Clan back, but T'grant refused, stating how he wanted to help in the galactic efforts and keep the peace. The Warperate and Clan Pau'aam had good relations after that conversation. The Warperate, despite the influence warping has had on its culture, still has a distinct army. The footsoldiers in the Rune Legions are some of the stoutest in that quadrant of the galaxy. However, the Warpers are still the greatest warriors in the Warperate. The Warperate, while being a benevolent monarchy in the name of freedom, has done questionable things in the past. The tests at the Warper's Academy are cruel and dispicable, often uneccessary attempts to drive students mad. There has been more than one High Warper who has been a dictator; in such a case, the top agents of the Warpers swore an oath to depose the current dictator - violently. The Warperate tends to lean towards the Kasmari side in the conflict due to the heavy emphasis on magic use in their culture. They've avoided getting into it so far, but the Pau'aam have joined up officially with the Kasmari. Culture Candir culture has emphasis on their technology, of which they have much. They can become expert engineers and mechanics, able to work with even the finest Zrillac creations. Candir are avid believers of freedom and strong moral. When the Coalition Of Free Sentients was formed, the Warperate gave them full support. Warpers However, the pillar of focus when it comes to Candir culture is magic. Candir DMUs are called 'Warpers', and are highly praised for their skill. From a young age, those proven to have any magical affinity are sent to the Warper's Academy. At the Academy, apprentice Warpers, called 'Cnai' or 'unproven', undergo rigorous tests by their strict instructors, known as 'Inqk', translating to 'tested one'. The Cnai have to prove themselves to be incredibly potent with magic through a series of (sometimes cruel) tests, both intellectual, mental and physical. It is not uncommon for Cnai to go insane through the testing process, where they become Tnai, or 'failed-to-prove'. The Cnai that do not pass the tests but survive are returned to the Warperate as a whole. These individuals are often enrolled in the Officer's Academy or sent into the front lines. Those who succeed no longer need labels. These proud few become the Warpers. They are equivalent to special forces and are used as the Warperate's right hand, both the hammer and the olive branch. Warpers have gone rogue in the past; broken away from the Warperate for a less stressful and dangerous life. One of these is Krann Lok, a top-level Warper agent suffering from the 'Rot, who started a new life as a bounty hunter past the boundaries of the Warperate. Religion Government Military Category:Races Category:Canon Category:Candir